Hawaii Beat
Simms in track trials
Vera Simms of Mililani will run the 400-meter hurdles today in the Olympic Trials in Sacramento, Calif. -- just six weeks after serious illness appeared to have caused a premature and cruel end to her track and field career.Simms received a phone call Wednesday in Ann Arbor, Mich., from USA Track and Field officials saying her entry had been accepted.
Officials at the University of Michigan, where she holds the school 400 hurdles record and graduated in engineering on May 1, quickly made arrangements to fly her to Sacramento for the meet.
"I entered myself and kept practicing every day like I was going," Simms said last night, "but I really didn't think I was going to get in."
Two of Hawaii's three entries in the Trials compete today. Bubba McLean of Maui, a 1997 St. Anthony graduate, is ranked in the top 10 in the U.S. in the pole vault after his 18 feet, 8 1/2 inch vault on June 27.
Bryan Clay (Castle '98), who holds Hawaii's best chance of making the team for next month's Olympic Games in Athens, will compete in the decathlon next Friday and Saturday, July 16-17. Clay was ranked third in the world last year.
Simms, a 2000 Mililani High graduate, had one of the fastest 10 collegiate 400 hurdle times in the nation in March, but injuries stalled her progress and in May she was diagnosed with mononucleosis, a blood disease.
She was unable to defend the Big 10 championship she won in 2002 and 2003. She did run in the Mid-East Regional and the NCAA Championships, but she was still weak and placed far back.
"I'm in pretty good shape now," she said. "Yesterday I felt really good."
"I decided to give myself an opportunity and declared July 5 that I would enter," even though her best time this season of 58.21 seconds did not meet the qualifying standards for the Trials, Simms said.
But there were only 20 entries who met the standards, so officials accepted Simms and one other hurdler.
Baab defends title
Allan Baab won his second straight Callaway Hawaii State Junior Championship yesterday at Hokulia's Jack Nicklaus signature golf course in Keauhou.Baab, a Kauai High graduate, signed a letter of intent to play for Hawaii Pacific next year in HPU's first season of NCAA Division II golf. He's a four-time HHSAA state qualifier and was the 2004 KIF individual champion.
Dennis Anderson of Hawaii Grown contributed to this report.
See line scores and results
in the [ Scoreboard ] section.